Oct 2, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, To See or Not to See |
Our shadows inside the house walls at Mesa Verde, Colorado
Yesterday, Dan, his parents and I took a day trip to Mesa Verde National Park in the Four Corners area of Southwest Colorado. We had a pleasant afternoon drive with a picnic interrupted by a band of black clouds backed by cold winds at the highest point of the Mesa at about 8,700 feet. We resumed our picnic at lower elevation in amongst the pinon and juniper trees.
The village ruins are tucked under a massive cliff…!
I hadn’t been to Mesa Verda since the first time in Summer 1989 on my return move back to Alaska from spending a couple of years in New Mexico. About 10 years ago there were many major fires that swept through the Four Corners region; Mesa Verde was not immune. Though as we drove through the 20-mile drive up to the “Spruce Tree” ruins (which are pictured here), it was amazing how the landscape had been making a come-back; how forgiving is our Earth — the forest continued to grow regardless of the skeletal remains of the burnt trees. Because I am a natural-born harvester, I kept thinking about how much the dead trees were just going to rot; there was so much firewood to collect!
The switch-back path leading down to the “Spruce Tree” mesa is just as interesting and well-engineered as the ancient ruins…!
A park ranger’s shadow during sunset…
A restored kiva — place of ceremony…
Sep 24, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive |
![PaversFinished]](http://www.clarissarizal.com/blogblog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PaversFinished.jpg)
I finished laying the paving stones at Jeannette’s! —
How many of you have lived in the American Southwest? (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico? If you have lived in the SW, then you know all about the mud sticking to the bottom of your feet after a drenching rain! And how many of you remember when I had a landscaping company in Juneau back in 1981 through 1993? It was called Kahtahah Landscape Company; it was mainly just me the designer/boss/landscaper who hired a different crew of workers every year. Kahtahah in our Tlingit language translates as: “She who plants” or “planting time” (depending on how you use it in a sentence). Although I landscaped here and there in Juneau, I was the gardener/landscaper for Sealaska Corporation 1981-1993. With the exception of the birch trees, I planted all the trees and shrubs down at the Plaza — they have gotten so big now — though sadly some of the bestest, healthiest trees were removed because of technological stuff replacing them (i.e. ATM machine, the energy tower, etc.).
Anyway, back to the American Southwest. Last weekend I drove down to my friend’s home 20 miles south of Gallup, NM, to a her homeland called Vanderwagon. Yes, she’s Navajo. She is preparing her house for whenever she moves back after 40+ years in Alaska; she is going to move back whether it be full time or part-time. I wanted to see her homeland, meet her family members and welcome her home by bring her some household goods I had been collecting to help start her off. And because I love to garden and landscape, my favorite part was setting the paving stones! When I arrived, it had just rained so we were tracking in all the mud! And the remedy was sitting right outside her door, so I got to work!
Jeanette was given about 80 stones from a sister-in-law who didn’t need them. They sat outside her front door for a year…until I came along! I just finished laying the pavers yesterday! Now I want to lay paving stones set like this for my outdoor fire pit; I’ve been wanting to do this for the past 20 years, but I have to wait until I have the extra cash to pay for the pavers! Doggone, how long must I wait!?
After a couple of days work on setting the pavers, I relaxed in Jeannette’s truck on our way to order washed 3/4″ gravel for the driveway and to lay in between the pavers…I kinda look like Yoko Ono in this shot, don’t I ?
Pendleton Blanket purchased from the Navajo Shopping Center, Gallup, NM
So while on our way to order gravel, the truck started to act up badly. We took it into the nearby car repair shop. While waiting for the truck to be repaired, we went to the “Navajo Shopping Center” in business for 50 years — wow, what a place! It is like a general store that provides most everything that Navajo people are used to buying for every day life, special occasions and the arts. They have gently-used Pendleton blankets for half off the normal price of the new robes. I bought one. As some of you know, I have designed and sewn button robes using these Pendleton blankets as the body of the robe. I am excited about the design I will do for this robe!
Jul 15, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Uncategorized |
The sandblox at the Atlin Music Festival was the same size as last year, but it seems this year it was the main hot spot at any given part of the day with at least 50 young children of toddlers up to 10 years old
Atlin Tlingit Louise Gordon is a co-founding member of the Atlin Music Festival. This is the second consecutive year she has invited indigenous Ravenstail and Chilkat weavers to demonstrate our traditional weaving styles at the Atlin Music Festival. Atlin is located in the upper part of British Columbia, Canada, just on the Northeastern side of the mountains from Juneau, Alaska. Click here for more info on the annual music festival in beautiful Atlin, B.C.
Sharon Shorty and Marge Baufeld demonstrate Ravenstail and Chilkat weaving in the Artists’ Tent at the Atlin Music Festival, Atlin, B.C.
Gunalcheesh, Louise Gordon for inviting us to demonstrate our weaving traditions at the Atlin Music Festival !
The Atlin Music Festival’s Campsite Specs has its sense of humor designating the quiet campers to the left of the sign and the noisy campers to the right!
I just loved this sign: “quiet, family, relax, zen, sleep peacefully…camp on the left of this sign” and those of your who are “loud, noisy, party, music, late hours…camp to the right of this sign…!”
There is the place for campers and RVs, then there’s the “Tent City” with a fabulous view!
I never really appreciated outdoor music festivals until this year…! Like down in Colorado, we’ve got them everywhere in almost every little town and big towns…it’s the norm; kids grow up with this kind of culture. I didn’t,…alas, I grew up in a rainforest where we could not count on a sunny day to plan something way ahead of time like an outdoor concert much less a day of picking berries without a raincoat!
Jul 5, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Wolf and Eagle headdresses worn by the children of the KwaanlinDun First Nations during their performance
What is the Adaka Festival? And where the heck is Whitehorse, Yukon Territory? And why does Clarissa just talk about Yukon Territory all the time?
This child dancer with the mask and leather gloves danced like the old-timers going down with low bent knees and extended arms with hands fluttering: wow! Bought back memories of my elder teacher Harry K. Bremner, Sr. from Yakutat, Alaska
My oldest daughter Lily Hope and excellent carver friend William Callahan – one of the best young carvers in all of Yukon!
New Zealand Maori carver, singer, musician Lyonel Grant presented slides of his work – and Tahltan Tlingit carver Dempsey Bob with his granddaughter
William Callahan and the Smith/Walker family (Shawn, Ann and Brian)
Wayne Price tells the story behind the song he sang: the migration under the glaciers
My daughter Lily and the great uncle Wayne Price of Lily’s son, Louis…so does this mean I am related to Wayne? Hmmm….shoulda known!
Jun 22, 2014 | Acting Out and Musical Chairs, Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Honoring Others, North Tide, Poetry Alaskan, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Of all the things I have ever aspired to be and do, it’s never been to be a lead singer, or one of the singers in a band! Though at the request of my friend the glassblower, Preston Singletary, I thought I’d give it a go. We sing traditional Tlingit songs with the back up of a fantastic sound called funk jazz fusion played by outstanding musicians that practically blew flutist Gene Tagaban and I right off the stage with the very first drumbeats at our very first performance in Seattle the night of June 20th. We are called “Khu.eex” (pronounced “koo eeeexch” which in the Tlingit language means “potlatch.”
Preston’s other band is called “Little Big Band” – this band is a totally separate band with a totally different sound from Khu.eex, You may visit Little Big Band’s website by clicking here at “A Little Big Band.com”
The following are a few photos of “Khu.eex” taken by Dan Shanks and I:
Let’s introduce you to “Khu.eex” – L to R: drummer from New Orleans Stanton Moore, Clarissa Rizal, keyboard player from New Jersey Bernie Worrell, Seattle musicians: bass player Preston Singletary, flutist/spoken word Gene Tagaban, saxaphonist Skerik, lead guitar Captain Raab, and sound engineer Randall Dunn at Avast! Studios, Seattle.
Read more about the various band members & the recording studio on their websites:
Bernie Worrell, keyboard artist: http://www.bernieworrell.com
Stanton Moore, drummer: http://www.stantonmoore.com
Preston Singletary, bass: http://www.prestonsingletary.com
Gene Tagaban, flutist/spoken word/singer: http://www.storytellingraven.com/
Clarissa Rizal, singer/spoken word: http://www.clarissarizal.com
Avast! Recording Studios: http://www.avastrecording.com/
Preston rounded up Gene, Captain Raab and Clarissa to create the set list.
I thought to myself “man, this is serious, we are really performing for an audience and are no longer in the recording studio…” like “hello, wake up dearie, we are not in Kansas anymore…!” The following photos are rehearsal shots:
Preston, Stanton Skerik and Bernie during our one rehearsal directly before the first of two shows on the evening of Thursday, June 19th, Seattle,Washington.
Here are a few more shots of our performances:
When are we going to take this troupe on tour? Well, a few things have to line up: First, Preston is working on finalizing the recording sessions and it looks as though there is enough material for two CD’s. Secondly, Preston’s two kids have to get a little older by about two years so that they can come on tour with us. Thirdly, we have to do some fundraising (maybe via Kickstarter) to pay for the tour.
And fourthly, for me, now that my throat is pretty much healed from last Winter’s spell of pneumonia, I can continue to take my voice lessons from Brett Manning’s Singing Success.com – click here to find out more about how you can take these fun voice lessons — if I can take voice lessons, you can take voice lessons! Being a part of Preston’s band, I feel like I have to contribute more than just being able to sing the native tunes; I have to really learn how to sing so my voice is an actual instrument allowing me to be more CREATIVE!!!
Bernie Worrell with Dan Shanks (who was the photographer for most of the photos on this blog post).
Both Bernie and Dan (as well as Gene Tagaban) are part Cherokee — can you see the resemblance? I can….(elongated shape of skull/face, certain width at bridge of nose, ears are flat to side of head, and the human kind graciousness of their character…)
Jun 14, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Clarissa with Donna Cranmer (Alert Bay, B.C.) and Ann Smith (Whitehorse, Yukon) at the Sealaska Art Fair during Celebration 2014, Juneau Alaska — Louis Hope receives a pair of mukluks
There was a core group of us weavers, like little more than a handfull who were weaving Chilkat back in the late 80’s; some of those women were Canadian, some were Alaskan — didn’t matter, we were all related somehow! They included Ernestine Hanlon, Suzi Williams, Anna Brown Ehlers, Irene Jimmy, Ann Smith, Donna Cranmer, and myself. There were not very many of us back then; not like today. (I apologize if I forgot to include you!)
It was sure good to meet up with Donna and Ann; we all hadn’t seen one another in 13 years! From 1992 to 2001, we would have Indigenous Weavers’ Gatherings once or twice a year; they began with our hostess Ernestine Hanlon in 1992 in Hoonah – from there we organically grew…a weaver would host a gathering in her home in her home town…we hosted them in Juneau, Haines, Sitka, Alert Bay, Prince Rupert, etc….and it’s been so long, I forget where else!
It’s a darn good thing I blog else I’d forget what I’ve done and where I’ve been and who’ve I done whatever I did where and when! It’s really hard to keep up with myself!
Jun 12, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
9 canoes gathered at the shores of Sandy Beach in Douglas, Alaska the day before “Celebration” began on Wednesday, June 11, 2014
There have been numerous canoe gatherings along the Northwest Coast for the past 20 years – they started after I moved inland to Colorado. Since 2007, I began spending part time in my home state of Alaska and part time in Colorado, Yukon and wherever my work takes me. This June the timing was right and I made sure I attended this gathering – mainly too because my friend Wayne Price had his first sailing of two traditional dug out canoes that arrived at this gathering – they were the only two traditional canoes; the others were fiberglass.
Michael Jackson from Kake, Alaska with dance staff – little does he know Clarissa has her latest Chilkat robe in her arms
I am sorry I cannot provide all the communities who partook in this event though I know Haines/Klukwan, Kake, Juneau and Yakutat were represented.
Clarissa waits for Wayne Price in his dugout canoe to place the Chilkat robe on him
Paddlers raise their paddles enthusiastically as they have permission to come ashore to their hosts homeland
One of my heroes, Ethel Lund (center) flanked by two friends
Clarissa with her daughter Lily and grandson, Louis Hope
The tide has gone out, the tour ships are leaving Juneau port and the paddlers are coming ashore!
Village of Kake, Alaska paddlers carry their canoe ashore
Deana Dartt-Newton, Wayne Price and Clarissa Rizal
Backside of the “Resilience” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa worn by friend and carver, Wayne Price
Wayne and Cherri Price stand beside Wayne’s traditional dugout canoe – their entire crew paddled from Haines, Alaska to Juneau to join in the canoe gathering
The dugout and the any paddles were carved by students under the guidance of Wayne Price
I dare say I have missed out on all the canoe gatherings in the past 20 years, but hey, better late than never!
May 22, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, For Crying Out Loud, Health and Wellness |
Clarissa heads into the cat skan to check for internal bleeding…
The assessment after the bike accident (that happened on May 12th) revealed that my front brake system on my bike had gone awry causing the brakes to clamp down on the front tire which hurdled me over the bike, bouncing me on the cement street and hit my head on the curb! At the urgency of my youngest daughter, she took me to the emergency room to make sure I had formed no blood clots or bleeding on the brain. (And do you know how many thousands of dollars that cost!?)
To her relief, I was clean of harm…BUT my body suffered multiple bruises and I had sprained both hands/wrists badly, especially my left hand…I have not been able to do anything with my left hand except that although still painful, I can at least WEAVE! Slowly but surely I can weave as long as I take breaks to not cause additional strain.
I ice-packed the sprain the first four days to reduce the swelling. In addition, to assist with the brusing and a speedier recovery, I used the famous “Skookum” salve made by Harlena Warford in Hoonah, Alaska that you may buy on line from www.gutsuwu.com. I swear by this product. I applied this salve to all my bruised areas and to my bruised brow and face; it was amazing to see and feel the results!
And for continual circulation and support, I used my trusty “Incredibrace” for both wrists—I travel with these companions; they have been life-savers over the past year!
I am reminded every day how precious an artists hands are!
X-raying painful hand/wrist for broken bones!—there were none!
Apr 4, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Health and Wellness, To See or Not to See |
TheGreat Sand Dunes between Crestone and Alamosa, Colorado is 30 square miles at the base of 14,000+ peaks
I will learn to take weekends off on a regular basis from creative endeavoring work. Weekends are a luxury for the self-employed and it’s about time I incorporate this type of luxury, (though in the next two months I have a major deadline to complete the Chilkat robe I am weaving), so I am postponing regular weekends until AFTER I deliver the robe!
Having at least one day off from work helps rejuvenate and revitalize our bodies, mind and spirit. We need this type of “food” to nourish and support us. It helps keep our creative juices flowing!
I appreciate a great travel partner who instigates simple great adventures and is attracted to the same subtle and not-so-subtle images, energies and beauty in nature. Of the many places Dan and I have traveled to and through in Western North America over the past 5 years, from the American Southwestern states up through Montana, Alberta, Yukon and Southeast Alaska, the early evening day trip to the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado last weekend captured my entire being. I felt as though I were walking on holy ground, sacred ground…vulnerable yet spiritually and physically powerful. I am happy I followed Dan’s lead to this place of mysticism and sacredness.
Patterns made by the wind
These are the highest sand dunes in North America up to 750 feet covering 30 square miles at the base of the Colorado Rockies between Crestone and Alamosa. We arrived in mid-afternoon when the sun was lowering on the horizon for better contrast of light and dark. I complained like a kid “…are we there yet!?” because the straight highway drive was absolutely boring, especially after driving through phenomenal scenery driving down from the Leadville area the day before!!
The Great Sand Dunes National Monument Park has excellent signs guiding visitors to respect the environment with do’s and don’ts
I yearn to return to the Sand Dunes. I imagine just to sit and be there. In peace. Alas, I have other commitments and major deadlines one right after the other; I have a Chilkat robe that I have to finish weaving by June 1st, then I have to deliver it, then I have 6 classes to teach in Yukon and Alaska and I do not return back to Colorado until mid-Summer when the Sand Dunes Park will be cluttered with too many people!!! — So alas, we must wait until AFTER Labor Day weekend because we will avoid the crowds.
Dark and light waves has been imprinted in my heart and mind inspiring me to want to paint, draw, charcoal images of nothing but sand dune language!
Dan soaks up the sunset, the silence and stillness
I know Dan and I must return to this place. Not just for an afternoon but for at least an entire week. Camp out. Hike. Bike. Play flute. Play a hand drum. Do Tai Chi. Take photos. Paint. Draw. Sit and be still at the top of one of the 750 ft. peaks. I have even imagined living nearby just a few miles South of the dunes, or make a yearly trek in a camper van and just hang out. I have never been to a place that has tempered me like the way a camp fire tempers me. I feel a large solid heart filling my entire chest and abdomen – it is obvious the spirit of the Great Sand Dunes has filled me to no end. We shall return. Soon.
Who would walk with their back against the sunset?
Click Here …..to view more photos of the Great Sand Dunes…and better yet, the next time you are in Colorado, check out the power and spirit of this magnificent place!
Mar 31, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Health and Wellness |
After 20 years of not doing Tai Chi, Clarissa plays with spontaneous movements based on the ancients. — (The lighting in Southwest Colorado is like none other! This photo was not Photoshopped) — Photo by Ursala Hudson
On another intense deadline to complete half of a full-size Chilkat robe in 6 weeks is not only daunting, but sounds ridiculous, right? Like, will I have time to sleep a full night, conduct other business, tend to family, household chores, play with grandchildren, and have a picnic now and then with my Dandan? Where do I fit in some exercise?
The real question is: will I really achieve the goal of completing the robe by June 1st?
